The Queen who was Forgotten
by Lady-Seraya
Summary: 150 years after the ruin of the Corus Palace, Eva discovers a secret covered about by 5 centuries of history
1. Chapter 1: The painting

The Queen Who was Forgotten  
  
Eva walked over to the ruins; it was her favourite place to go. Just to be alone. No one ever went there for they claimed it was haunted. But Eva knew it wasn't haunted. In some places the walls still towered over her head, she was always finding new things, that's what she loved about it. The palace had once been a beautiful, grand place high atop the hill. A place of extravagant balls and courting and the training of knights. The ruins were huge because it had once been a huge castle, no one living could remember it being used because it went into ruin long before that. It was in the reign of King Roald of Conte that the ruin came. Shortly after his father Jonathan and mother Thayet passed on into the next world there was a huge storm, like none that had ever passed over Tortall. The palace although protected by many spells - and these had been done by some of the worlds greatest Mages - the place was ruined by hail that was the size of your head and a lightning bolt hit Balor's Needle and it fell upon the palace. The damage was irreparable, it was best to relocate and start from scratch on a new palace, which was done although Tortall became poorer and the old palace was left to rot. This happened 150 years before Eva had even been born and it had been told to her by her history teacher. She had been fascinated with the ruins ever since.  
  
She stepped over one of the low walls into her favourite room, the big floor space and still visibly fine tiling told her that it had been a ball room. She had swept away the debris and then pretended many times that she had been there all those years ago.  
  
A sharp sound startled her and she looked around quickly, telling herself off mentally for even thinking for one second that there were ghosts in this lovely place. Walking into another room she found that a painting had fallen off one of the taller walls, fired with curiosity she walked over and turned it over. The painting was of a woman, she had long red hair and blue eyes. The painting was old but still in surprisingly good condition. The woman was very beautiful and was dressed in a purple dress. The plaque attached to the frame read Queen Lavely the first, lady of secrets and keeper of the unknown. Condemned was she for the way she was born, loved for who she was.  
  
She had never heard of a Queen Lavely before, although most of the Tortallan history was lost in the Great Storm. What did it mean 'condemned was she for the way she was born'? The painting being not very great in size and very light; Eva decided to take the painting home, maybe her grandmother had heard of Queen Lavely. She looked like a very young queen, only about 20 or so, or at least that is how old she looked when the painting was done. Feeling a cool breeze rise up Eva looked at the sky, it looked certain it would rain so she picked up her skirts and her new painting and ran for home. 


	2. Chapter 2: 500 years of Hidden Secrets

Eva lived in a small house on the outskirts of Corus, going via the road it would have been a long walk to the palace but Eva lived right near the fields which had once belonged to the Royal family. She lived with her grandmother and her mama and papa. She had no siblings, as her mother had been very sick with the fever shortly after she was born which left her barren. Eva didn't mind this for she had lots of friends from school and at home mama and grandma were always there. Her papa worked on a big ship called 'The Lioness' her papa had told her that the boat was named after a woman who had lived many years ago in the time when the Royal Palace was still in Corus. She had loved hearing that story about Alanna, she was her favourite character in history. Songs were still sung about her and games were still played by little children in the streets, she for one had played the Lioness game many times. While she loved the Tortallan history she now knew that there were many holes in what was taught at school. Why was Queen Lavely never talked of? "Eva, where have you been?" asked her mother as soon as she walked in the door. "Only at the ruins mama oh and look what I found" she showed her mama the painting of Queen Lavely "I have never heard of her before, we were not taught about her at school" she saw her mother looked strange and shuddered involuntarily "You should not take things from that place, it is evil Eva and I don't ever want you to go there again. I want you to return this picture to the ruins tomorrow before school and don't wait around in there, go straight to school" Eva's mother was not by nature a mean woman at all, she just loved her only daughter more than anything and the knowledge that she could never have any more children made her naturally over protective of her. "Mama!" protested Eva "That's so unfair" "No it's not, now go and have your dinner and say hello to your grandmother" "Mama?" "What Eva?" "Is papa coming home tonight?" "No Eva," her voice softened "Now go and have your dinner"  
  
Eva walked into the kitchen, her grandma was sitting alone at the table staring into nothing. She was very old and looked very worn and tired at that moment. Just watching the ocean rush to the shore before retreating as quickly as it came back to its icy cold foamy kingdom. "Grandma?" "Oh Eva, you have been out late. Come and sit beside Grandma" "Grandma look at the painting I found, do you know anything about her? We were never taught about her in school." Eva was determined to find out about this Queen Lavely. The strangest look came over her grandmother's face one almost of fear. "Eva where did you find this?" her voice was dead "At the old Royal Palace ruins, why?" "Eva, Queen Lavely died over 500 years ago, she met a very bad end" her grandma sighed and rubbed her forehead, suddenly looking and feeling very old. "So it is Eva's time," she murmured to herself "What's Eva's time?" asked the girl impatiently wanting desperately to know what was going on. Her grandma sighed again "Well Eva a very long time ago there lived a queen. Queen Lavely of Karlavas, she was a very young queen and the only child of King Liam and Queen Andrea. Her parents died when she was twenty so she was placed head of the country at a very young age and many people said that a female that young could not run a country. She was very pretty and likeable and more intelligent than most of her male advisors and this gained her many powerful friends and most importantly the respect of her nation. Her people loved her because she was so good and kind and helped the poor. One day her third cousin who was also one of her key advisors found out the terrible truth of Lavely, because you see Eva; Lavely belonged to a long line of witches and in those days it was something terrible. She had the Gift and if you had the Gift in those days is was the work of the Dark god and they were burned at the stake. Her cousin told everyone even though Lavely begged him not too and Queen Lavely never begged. Her cousin was Lord Andrew of Conte, a horrible man who would do you a bad turn before a good one. Now the ironic thing was that the Gift ran in the Conte line as well, and it still does though they kept it a secret, however when people found out this many of them called for Lavely's execution. The date was set and Lavely was imprisoned, Lord Andrew became King Andrew, which is how the Conte's became the Royal line. However right before her death a strange mood overtook Lavely and she spoke in a voice that was not her own, she told them that they had done an immeasurable wrong and would be brought to justice. She said that 500 years from now a girl would find Lavely's story and go back in time and undo the wrongs done by Lord Andrew of Conte. It was written down of course but never believed. That girl is you Eva, I believe you will go back to Lavely's time and undo Andrew's doing." 


	3. Chapter 3: "What do I do?!"

Eva was silent for a long time, just running over her Grandma's story in her mind over and over again. She was scared and confused and had a million different questions running through her mind.  
  
"What am I to do Grandma?" she tried to speak calmly "And also if I help Lavely keep the throne then all of history will be changed and there will be no Conte kings and we have had some wonderful kings in history including our present one"  
  
"That is very true Eva, you are very quick and smart. I am not fully aware of what you are to do, I know many things Eva but I do not know that. However Lavely never married nor did she ever have anyone 'special'. Maybe the Karlavas line is to end with Lavely, but it is my belief that Andrew never should have been King, he cast a shadow on the entire Conte line. His son however Roald the First was a great King, he healed the country of the wrongs his father had done and it was he who passed the law that those who were born with the Gift were to take it as a gift from the gods and no one was to be executed on account of it. It is my belief that it is Roald should be the first Conte King of Tortall, not Andrew. Maybe it will change the shadow, maybe the storm will never have happened. All things happen for a reason Eva, and think about it. Lavely's prophecy was made 500 years ago, the gods have had a lot of time to plan this. If the storm had never happened you would never have played in the ruins and you never would have found Lavely's picture and found out your destiny"  
  
Eva thought over this, it was impossible to think that she fitted into this grand story somewhere. That she was to go back in time and avenge the death of a woman who died over 500 years ago. And the notion that the Great Storm happened on her account seemed ludicrous. Her Grandma must have had the wrong person, it couldn't possibly be her! What if she was wrong, what if the Gods and Goddesses were wrong and they had gotten the wrong girl and she couldn't complete her task. Her mind was in a total spin and she couldn't think where to begin with questions to her grandma.  
  
"Where do I begin? What should I take? What do I do when I get there? Do I just knock off this Lord Andrew guy? How do I get his son to become King before him and how do I stop them executing Lavely?" she asked all this in the same breath  
  
"Eva, Eva, Eva" her grandma laughed at the girls frightened look, she knew that her granddaughter thought she was wrong, but after 500 years how could the gods possibly choose someone who would fail. It was an impossibility "All these things will be revealed, I think you should return to the ruins tomorrow, as your mother said. I will tell her where you have gone if you do not return. I also have a mind to write to the King to tell him the situation. You must be a brave girl Eva, we will not be there for you, we will not have even been born and you might come back to a completely different world. The palace might be sitting on that hill and certain people might not be born the list is endless"  
  
"I'm scared Grandma" she whispered in a small voice. Eva knelt in front of her grandma and rested her head on her lap. It was comforting to feel her grandmother's old hand gently stroking her hair. Her grandmother was asking her to irreversibly change history forever, who would not be terrified?  
  
"I don't think I ever want tomorrow to come," whispered Eva, more to herself than anyone else before drifting off to sleep with her head in her grandmother's lap. But tomorrow would come. And did.  
  
___________________  
  
Ok, so what do you think of the latest addition? I am trying to write more soon, but only if people want me to. Do you like it?  
  
Blessed Be  
  
Seraya 


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